Chocolate Dipped Orange Madeleines
Calling all French pastry recipe lovers! These chocolate dipped orange madeleines are light and airy making them easy to snack on many with a cup of coffee. Quick and easy to make, they have a melt in your mouth texture and are filled with bright citrus flavor making them a perfect orange dessert.
How are Madeleines Different from Cakes?
Madeleines are soft sponge cake and an easy batter to make, like many cakes, however there are some key difference that make madeleines different from cakes. First, and most obvious, is the shape. What makes a madeleine a madeleine is the shell shape they bake in. Also, they are more pastries and intended to be finger foods whereas cakes are meant to use a spoon or fork and plate. While many cake batters are whipped, spongy, and airy, not all cakes are made that way. You’ll find this orange madeleines recipe to be very spongy, airy, and deliciously citrusy.
The Origin Of Madeleines
Madeleines being a delectable French pastry recipe originated in Commercy in the Lorraine region of France. A baker by the name of Madeleine Paulmier baked them for the Duke of Lorraine during the late 18th century. While madeleines were popular in France, they did not gain worldly fame until the early 1900’s when they were introduced to many more different people and cultures. Read more about madeleines here!
Orange Madeleines Ingredients
- Orange zest: Any type of oranges or mandarins will do. The key is to rub the zest into the sugar to better release the citrusy orange flavors.
- Dark chocolate: The darker the better for me for any chocolate dessert, however, choose whatever percentage you like best. If you’re looking for something sweeter, you could for white or milk chocolate as well.
Major Allergens Present: Gluten, eggs, dairy (butter)
Equipment Needed
- Large madeleine pan: Used to bake this orange madeleines recipe in. I use a large pan with 12, however, you can use a mini madeleine pan. Although, you would need to shorten the baking time.
- Hand or stand mixer: Used to make the madeleine batter and incorporate all that fluffy air. For a hand mixer you will use the beaters, and for a stand mixer, the whip attachment.
How to Make Orange Madeleines Dipped in Chocolate:
What are Orange Madeleines Made Out Of?
This orange madeleines recipe uses few ingredients and a wonderful orange dessert. Outside of the basic ingredients like sugar, eggs, flour, butter, we add in the orange citrusy flavor using zest rubbed into the sugar crystals as well as a little extract for an extra flavor burst. This orange madeleines recipe also uses dark chocolate for the dipping to make them chocolate orange madeleines. Always enjoy this French pastry recipe with a cup of fresh coffee.
Make the Orange Madeleine Batter
This chocolate orange madeleines recipe is super easy to make! First step is to rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar. The sugar crystals grind on the zest further extracting and intensifying the orange flavor. This method works very well with any recipe that uses zest. Next, whip that orange sugar with the eggs until the color is pale yellow and it is super light and airy.
Finally, alternately add in the dry ingredients with the melted butter. With that butter, it should melted and warm but not hot because the heat will deflate your airy batter. For extra airiness, you can sift the dry ingredients, however, I don’t find this crucial. The batter needs to chill for a couple hours before baking. This helps solidify the butter and create the coveted hump on the backs of madeleines.
Bake the Orange Madeleines and Dip in Chocolate
Baking the madeleines start at 400*F before dropping down to 350*F as you’re putting the pan in the oven. Starting at a high temperature helps with oven spring. Make sure to fill the madeleine pan two-thirds of the way as any more would cause them to overflow. Bake them for a quick ten-ish minutes rotating halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Once your orange madeleines are room temperature, melt some dark chocolate and dip! I like to top with zest and sea salt before the chocolate sets. This orange dessert recipe is great to make during the holidays!
Getting hung up or lost on all the baking terminology? Study up here.
Help Making Orange Madeleines:
Tips for Making Orange Madeleines Dipped in Chocolate
- Don’t stop whipping the eggs until they are super pale yellow and fluffy as this is where a lot of your airiness will come from!
- Sift your dry ingredients for maximum airiness.
- Make sure your butter is warm and melted but not hot because the heat will deflate your batter.
- Chill your batter as to solidify the butter for maximum poofiness when baking.
- Start the oven temperature at 400*F before reducing to 350*F immediately before baking as this creates a better oven spring for the coveted madeleine hump.
Enhancing This Orange Madeleines Recipe:
- Replace the orange with lemon and the dark chocolate with white or milk chocolate.
- Spice it up with a little cinnamon for a cozier dessert.
- Scrape the seeds of a whole vanilla bean pod to make these vanilla orange madeleines!
How to Store and Freeze Orange Madeleines
- Freeze the orange madeleine batter in a sealed bag or container for up to 2 months.
- Store the chocolate dipped orange madeleines in a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Troubleshooting Chocolate Orange Madeleines:
- My madeleines over spread! This could be a couple problems. One could be overfilling the pan so make sure to fill no more that two-thirds. Another could be not chilling the batter. You use melted butter and if you bake right away that butter just splooges out. Make sure to chill the batter to solidify the butter prior to baking.
- My madeleines are dense! You did not incorporate enough air! Make sure the whipped eggs and sugar are super pale yellow and airy as well as sifting the dry ingredients. Moreover, the butter should not be hot as that will deflate your batter.
Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!
Chocolate Dipped Orange Madeleines
Equipment
- Large madeleines pan
- Hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 ea Orange zest plus extra for garnish
- 140 g Granulated sugar
- 4 ea Whole eggs
- 2 ea Egg yolks
- 1 tsp Orange extract
- 125 g All-purpose flour
- 1¼ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- 100 g Butter, unsalted melted, not hot
- 1 cup Dark chocolate for dipping
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and orange zest in the bowl of your hand or stand mixer. Rub the sugar and orange zest together until evenly distributed.
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, and extract and, using your beaters for a hand mixer or whip attachment for a stand mixer, whip on high speed until pale and fluffy.
- Reduce speed to low and alternately add in the dry ingredients and melted butter in 2 or 3 additions each. Make sure to stop the mixer half way through and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Once all ingredients are added, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and gently fold in any unmixed ingredients together.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- In the final 30 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 400℉ and grease your madeleines pan with pan spray.
- Portion your batter into the madeleines mold filling about ⅔ of the mold. Place the leftover batter back in the fridge.
- Reduce the temperature to 350℉ and bake the madeleines for 9-11 minutes rotating halfway through. They should be light brown and spring back slowly when poked.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack and once the pan has cooled, repeat steps 6-8.
- Once all madeleines are cool, melt the dark chocolate and dip. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with orange zest and sea salt if desired.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the difference between financiers and madeleines? While both are French pastry recipes there are some key differences. Financiers are made with brown butter and typically in a bar shape. Madeleines are whipped, spongy, and baked in a shell shaped pan.
- What makes madeleines so good? Madeleines are super light and airy in texture and buttery in flavor making them taste so good.
- What is special about madeleines? The special thing about madeleines is the shape and light and spongy texture. Their buttery flavor and mouthfeel make them the most delicious French pastry.
Have another question? Reach out and I’ll try to answer it for you!
